


Lips Like an Angel

by CrustyCrout0n



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Adult Content, Adultery, M/M, Music
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-14
Updated: 2020-12-21
Packaged: 2021-03-11 03:46:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 17,702
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28068765
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CrustyCrout0n/pseuds/CrustyCrout0n
Summary: After Eren breaks up with Jean for three years after finding him in bed with another man, he starts a job as live entertainment on Friday nights at a local coffee shop. Its co-owner alongside Hange is Levi Ackerman, who has to come face to face with a boy who sings with his whole soul, and a man he's already engaged to.
Relationships: Levi & Eren Yeager, Levi/Eren Yeager
Comments: 15
Kudos: 64





	1. A Lucky Opportunity

**Author's Note:**

> Hi!! Please don't forget to comment if you enjoyed it! I haven't written in years so I apologize if it's cringy!! Enjoy!!

No one ever expects the worst when they're in love. No one can imagine the person they love, that they want to spend the rest of their life with to completely rip it apart. Eren should have worried, he should have seen the warning signs. All that was left now was despair. 

"Get out!" Eren shouted, his voice trembling as his hands came up from stopping the other from getting any closer. His heart dropped, eyes glued to the floor as he refused to look at his now ex-lover. He couldn't come to terms with what had happened and what he had just seen. As it turned out, hearts can break fairly easily. 

Jean scrambled off the bed, covering himself with a sheet as he tried to find his boxers. "Please wait, Eren, you don't understand," he pleaded, grabbing a hold of his shorts and quickly putting them on. Eren wasn't supposed to be home, he shouldn't have found him with someone else. "Just- just let me explain.." he begged.

"Explain what?!" Eren shouted, cheeks staining with hot tears as he shook his head. "There's nothing to explain Jean, you slept..with someone else.. in our home!" Eren's voice grew louder the longer he stood there. 

He let his eyes glance up at Jean, his heart shattering all over again as he saw the unfamiliar man in their bed, the man avoiding eye contact. The man seemed to have been surprised, and Eren wouldn't put it past Jean to forget to mention he was with someone else.

Too bad Eren had no remorse for either one of them; especially Jean. What he did was unforgivable...they had talked about this, they had agreed that cheating would never be okay... that there wouldn't be any second chances if this ever happened, yet Jean did it anyway. 

"Get out." Eren spoke, voice calm but stern as he locked eyes with the man he once loved. "you can get your shit at the end of the week, but right now get the fuck out of my house."

Eren felt himself lose all the strength in his body and he had to reach out and grab ahold of the edge of the dresser next to him to keep himself from falling. He couldn't lose all his composure now; he couldn't let Jean see just how wrecked he was. 

Jean remained silent as he started to put his clothes on that were sprawled across the floor. The stranger began dressing too, Eren's eyes refusing to look at the other man's body who he was sure was covered in marks made by Jean. His Jean. Was his. 

When the two of them finally got dressed, Eren moved out of their way, his breath shaky as he heard the two of them walk down the stairs and then finally shut the door. Ok. Now it's okay. You can break down- you can let it all out now.

And that's when Eren finally broke; completely. He fell to the floor, sobs falling from his lips uncontrollably as his whole body shook, his breath erratic and his heart racing. This no longer felt like his life and he no longer knew what he was doing. At this moment he completely lost all that he was and everything that he was striving to become with and for Jean.

\--------------

It's been two weeks since Jean left and the house was silent, chilling Eren to his core. It had been years since his house had been this quiet; this empty. He didn't like sleeping in an empty bed and the silence was almost deafening to his ears. 

That's why he decided to pick up music again. When he was with Jean he decided that if they both wanted to move forward and get married one day then they both had to find jobs that were promising and consistent, so Eren stopped making music and started working at his father's hospital. He didn't hate it, but it wasn't where his passion was. He loved making music, listening to it, singing it, showing it to other people. He'd like to say that his music was able to reach people in ways that regular words couldn't.

It was always easier for him to communicate through lyrics. Through music, he could easily express his love, his worry, his despair. Through music, he could release the emotions he had buried deep down that he couldn't share. 

Why had he given it up in the first place again?

That's also what lead him to where he was right now, standing outside of a coffee shop that had a flyer stuck to the window saying, 'entertainment needed.' Eren was a bit questionable at first, wondering if the position was open and if his music was even the type that this place needed. But, with it only being part-time and during the evening, he thought it would be worth a shot.

Being so, Eren took a few steps forward as he opened the door, a small chime ringing as he walked through. It was lightly dimmed, with a few small candles lit on the tables. It looked quaint, wooden tables covering the area with small lace table clothes covering them. This place might just work, he thought as he looked around further. 

"Can I help you?" A woman spoke from behind the counter, hazel eyes shining behind glasses as they peered at Eren. 

"Oh, sorry.." Eren fumbled, a nervous laugh falling from his lips as he held his guitar case and bag. "I actually say your flyer outside.. did you still need to find entertainment for Friday nights?" He asked a bit hesitantly, god he hasn't played in a long time, and to be quite frank he was a bit nervous. 

"Oh!" The stranger exclaimed with a smile and clasped their hands together. "We are! I should have known with you carrying a guitar and everything!" They just about shouted with excitement. A quiet laugh fell from Eren's lips, his green eyes following them as they walked from behind the counter and up to Eren as they held out a hand. "My name is Hange, I'm one of the owners of this lovely cafe," they spoke and turned to look at the small stage the was lit up by a small lamp and a few candles stationed at the edge of the stage. "The position is open, and actually.. we should be getting busy soon. I know it's not Friday, but you're welcome to sing a song and see how the crowd likes you," they offered with a bright smile. It was a surprising offer and Eren could see the curiosity shining behind their eyes. Eren was taken back a bit, surprised that Hange had offered for him to sing tonight, but it's not like he had plans so why not give it a go?

"Sounds like a good idea to me," Eren spoke and hesitated before speaking up. "Do you have an iPod adapter for the speakers?" He asked and dug into his bag to pull out his iPod. "This goes along with a song I play on the guitar," he stated as Hange took the iPod eagerly.

"Our one employee is tech-savvy, I can have him hook it up for you," Hange spoke and waved one of the workers over and handed the iPod to him.

"It's the first song on there, the Night We Met," Eren muttered, and even thinking about the lyrics made Eren's heart drop, knowing that he had started writing the song just after Jean had cheated on him; after his whole world came crashing down. You could say that it was a way for him to cope; to come to terms that his whole future had changed in an instant. But part of him embraced the lyrics, embraced the music as he slowly began to heal.

Hange must have felt or seen the mood change in the air because they just smiled and nodded. "People usually start coming in at about seven which gives you about two hours before you start. You're more than welcome to hang around until then."

Eren just shook his head politely and ran a hand through his hair. "If I'm going to be singing in front of people I definitely want to change," he stated with a laugh as he looked down at his worn-out jeans and t-shirt. Besides, it has been such a long time since he had performed that he knew practicing would immensely help with the nerves. "I'll probably go over the song a few times as well," He spoke with a soft smile and shifted his bag to his other shoulder. 

"Is it alright if I come back right before seven?"

Hange let out a snicker as they brought up a hand to cover their mouth. "Don't worry about it kiddo, take your time we aren't going anywhere."

Eren let out a sigh of relief and nodded. "I'll be back then," he spoke as he shuffled his feet to the door. "Thanks again!" He spoke out before heading out the door.

A smile formed on Hange's face as they waved at Eren, watching him leave as they crossed their arms and turned towards the cafe. "This will be fun."

\-----------


	2. Chapter 2- Levi's Predicament

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It wasn't necessarily a bad introduction, but Levi's not the nicest person around, and well- what else did you expect?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did get a comment and wanted to clear it up- this is an old story of mine that I've been rewriting. Don't worry!!

"What the fuck is this?" Levi muttered as his eyes locked onto the guitar case on the floor as he shuffled into the back room, peeling his coat off and hanging it neatly on the coat rack. He knew for a fact that none of them played the guitar, and for a split second it came across Levi's mind that Hange had stolen it; or worse, found it on the street. He really wouldn't put it past them at this point.

"Oh I forgot to call you," Hange stated as they sat down at their desk. Hange's eyes were glued to some finance papers that needed to be turned in by the end of the week. "This adorable kid came in with a guitar asking about the entertainment flyer," they spoke, eyes peering up to meet cold grey ones. "I would have texted you but I knew you would throw a fit so... surprise!" 

Levi let out an annoyed sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose as he let out a deep breath. "I thought we weren't going to do this," he started and sat down at his own desk as he rested his head in his hands; he felt a headache coming on and this four-eyed creature was the cause of it. "The last person you attempted to hire ended up singing about his sex life, which didn't really set the mood," he muttered tiredly and glanced down at his own pile of mail that he was refusing to open. Half of it was probably receipts from his and Erwin's down payment for their catering and other down payments for a wedding that he rather not think about at the moment. That was just unnecessary stress that Levi didn't want to put himself through right now.

Hange just laughed it off, knowing that his brutal words weren't meant to hurt them; that's just how he was. Eventually, after their laughter stopped, Hange's eyes looked up to study their partner, watching the way he completely ignored the mail on his desk. Seemed like things were still pretty tense at home.

"Things are still rough then, huh?" They asked, hoping that for once Levi would talk to them about what was bugging him. He rarely did, but they knew when he was upset, and it was not a secret that Erwin and he were currently going through a rough time, not including the stress of planning a wedding as well. Hange knew more than they were leading on, mostly because they knew Levi better than he knew himself. But still; didn't hurt to ask.

Levi opened his mouth to say something but quickly shut it, his eyes focusing on the picture frames on his desk, remembering when he and Erwin were actually happy and so desperately in love. He wondered when everything started to change; when a wedding felt more like a job and a task than supposedly the happiest day of his life.

"He hasn't talked to me in a week," Levi finally admitted and leaned back in his chair as he let out a tired sigh. "He's the one who was caught messaging someone else, so I don't get why he's the one pretending to be the victim." He muttered and let out a strain of curses in French. It was quite childish, and if Levi could have it his way, he would have beaten it out of the blonde days ago but technically that was called abuse. How tragic. 

Hange only nodded and placed their head in the palm of their hand as they chewed on their bottom lip. "Levi... I know it's none of my business, but as your best friend, I just don't know why you're continuing with the wedding... I know he didn't physically cheat but...he was talking with multiple guys." It may be overstepping their boundary to bluntly suggest such a thing, but it was obvious that it pained Levi, even if he refused to acknowledge it.

The raven had to admit that the truth stung, and he knew better than anyone else that he shouldn't stay, but he was scared and didn't want to lose the five years he had worked so had to create. He had already created a life that he was mostly content with, and stopping the wedding would throw his life back into chaos and he'd rather not have a mess to clean up. However, he couldn't get mad at Hange because they were right, and the sad part was that Hange was the one who introduced them so they knew better than anyone how hard this was. 

"I just need some time to think," He muttered and let his finger play with the small engagement ring that was on his finger. "I'm just so tired Hange... I'm 29 and not married... if I don't settle down with someone now, I might not ever."

It was the first time that Levi had talked so freely about his emotions and Hange wasn't about to ruin the moment with their witty remarks like they usually did. Instead, they tried to offer words of encouragement and strength. The last thing they needed to do was make Levi regret opening up to them in the first place.

"You know that no matter what you choose I will always be here; the cafe, and I will always be your home." Hange smiled, pushing their glasses up their nose with their finger before looking at the time and standing up with a jump in their step; what a drastic shift feeling in the air. 

"The kid should be done setting up the stage soon; I hope he's as good as he looks. Levi, the boy is simply darling," they spoke and grabbed their apron before heading towards the door; picking up the guitar case before they headed out. They knew that Levi obviously doubted them, and they wouldn't deny the fact that the last couple of people they tried to hire turned out...well...terribly. Yet, for some reason they felt differently about this boy; they should have gotten his name. "You should come to watch him play," they called back before disappearing into the front of the store.

That left Levi alone with his own thoughts, his mind bouncing from thought to thought making it difficult for him to actually think clearly. Was he being selfish for not wanting to throw away all those years of his life with Erwin, or did he need to be selfish and leave to save his heart from any more heartache?

"Shit," he breathed under his breath and wiggled the engagement ring off of his finger, and opened his desk drawer before safely putting it at the bottom. He didn't need to worry about this right now, and besides...Erwin was so busy with his 'work,' that he knew he wouldn't be coming by to visit anytime soon. 

It was time to see if this so-called 'radiant' kid was as good as Hange was hoping, and Levi didn't have high hopes because as sad as it was, Hange tended to only make things more difficult and frustrating; maybe that's why he kept her around, they brought their own sort of life into his troubling world.

Grabbing his suit jacket and his lighter Levi walked towards the storefront, leaving his ring finger empty and almost free.

\-----------


	3. The Night We Met

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first step in healing is acknowledging you might just be broken.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [PS, this is when the chapters start to get long, I'll let you guys know if the chapters are ever going to be less than 1k]

[For this Chapter I highly, highly recommend listening to the song that Eren will be performing. It is called The Night We Met, by Lord Huron. I give the artist full credit for the song and the lyrics.]

Eren peered from behind the stage, his voice caught in his throat as he looked at the people sitting quietly in their seats, sipping at their drinks while they made small conversations with the people around them. The atmosphere of the place was warm and gentle and that was exactly what Eren needed. He needed something to help heal the aching in his heart and the fear of never being able to find happiness again.

Glancing down at his phone, the time read 6:45 pm, which gave him 15 minutes to get the confidence to walk on stage and tone his guitar one last time. He only prepared one song, and hopefully, no one asked him to do another...and that's even if the audience enjoyed his music. The brunette took one last deep breath before walking to the front stage, a few heads turning to see who it was but quickly looked back to what they were doing beforehand. 

"Are you nervous?" Hange asked with a grin as they walked up to the other, setting Eren's guitar to the side before taking both of his hands in theirs. "I must apologize, I never got your name," they spoke and frowned only for a moment before their smile returned.

Eren made a mental side note that Hange's smile looked sincere and genuine; he could tell that they were a kind person, and Eren hoped that he doesn't let that smile down.

"It's Eren, and really it's quite alright," he spoke with a smile and eventually took his hands back when they let go, lifting the guitar case and hanging it to him.

"Eren..what a nice name!" they muttered before offering him another quick smile and stepping up on the small, lowly light stage and waited until another worker brought out a stool and a microphone stand. They gently tapped on the microphone, the noise echoing in the room making the people in the shop stop and turn towards them.

"Good evening guys, I know you have all suggested some entertainment, so I am happy to announce we have a young man here who is eager to play for you," they spoke and turned towards Eren.

Eren could feel his hands start to sweat the more he looked into the audience. It felt almost as if the nervousness was going to eat him alive, but the best way to get over stage fright was to jump into it, so here he was ready to leap.

Hange turned back to the people in their seats, "So please let us know if you like him and we might just keep him," they added with a teasing smile before stepping away and just about jumped off the stage.

Eren really did wonder how they had all of that energy. But, now it was just him on the stage and his hands start to shake as he set up his guitar, toning some of the chords. His fingers traced over the dark ivory leaves engraved on the sides of it. He cleared his throat, stepping up to the microphone as he adjusted the height so he could sit down as he played. "G...Good evening everyone," he spoke; the silence coming from the store making Eren regret doing this in the first place, but he couldn't just back down now.

"Thank you for listening and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do," He finished before sitting onto the stool and looking to the back of the stage to see a man in an apron giving him a thumbs up. That must mean that everything was set to go, and Eren gave him a nod in return to let him know he could queue the music.

The music was quiet at first, as his fingers starting to pick at the guitar, letting the strings of the music work their way into the background. His lips parted before he started to hum into the microphone, his hums fainting turning into a quiet, 'ooh.'

"..I am not the only traveler.."  
"...Who has not repaid his debt."

His voice started to get louder, his fingers strumming the guitar as he hung onto the notes.

"...I've been searching for a trail to follow again..."  
"Take me back to the night we met."

His voice dropped an octave as he finished the first verse, his heart falling into his chest as he remembered the first night that he met Jean, how awestruck he had been, how he had fallen in love so easily.

"And then I can tell myself.."  
"What the hell I'm supposed to do."

His voice started to sound almost desperate as if he was pleading for an answer that he knew he wasn't going to get.

"And then I can tell myself.."  
"Not to ride along with you,"  
"....I had all and then most of you,"  
"some and now none of you..."

The background music from the iPod suddenly got louder, instruments coming together and flowing in a rhythm that made Eren's chest burn. He forgot how much he loved this song when he wrote it, but he forgot how it left an empty pain in his chest.

"Take me back to the night we met..."  
"I don't know what I'm supposed to do,"  
"Haunted by the ghost of you."  
"Oh, take me back to the night we met.."

Eren easily got lost in the song and in his own emotions, his eyes drifting shut as he sang, his voice getting louder the more confident he got. Singing again like this made him remember just how happy writing and performing music made him, and Eren knew at this moment this is what he was destined to do. The brunette was so focused on singing he didn't notice someone else walk into the audience. 

"..Where the hell did you find this kid?" Levi muttered, not even trying to hold back his awe as his eyes became glued to the kid. The lyrics weren't long and the song was slow, but the way that this boy was singing made Levi feel like he was displaying his soul for the rest of the audience to see.

Hange looked at Levi and then back at Eren, and for once even they were speechless. "..he just walked in.. and damn Levi I didn't think he was going to be this good," they stated in bewilderment as they started to let their body sway to the music as Eren continued to sing.

Levi on the other hand was almost transfixed on this boy, the lighting in the room making the streaks of gold in his hair shine, and when Eren finally opened his eyes as he started the next verse, Levi felt something in his heart set on fire that he thought long ago had burned out.

"When the night was full of terrors..."  
"And your eyes were filled with tears."  
"When you had not touched me yet..."  
"Oh, take me back to the night we met." 

When Eren opened his eyes as he started the next verse he could feel the hot tears start to form in his eyes and fall down his cheeks. He was embarrassed sure, but the audience looked entranced and he wanted to get across to them just how much heartache he was feeling. How hopeless and lost he was when he wrote this song, how he wished he could go back in time.

"I had all and then most of you,"  
"Some and now none of you..."  
"Take me back to the night we met."  
"I don't know what I'm supposed to do,  
"Haunted by the ghost of you..."  
"Take me back to the night we met.."

The notes started to fade out, his voice trailing along with the beat, his eyes getting blurry from the tears that didn't seem to stop falling. Maybe it was too early to sing this song, but by the reaction from the audience in front of him...seeming so torn and heartbroken too, he knew he was able to get his point across.

When the song finally ended, he blinked a few times to let the rest of the tears fall, and that's when his green eyes found stone-cold blue ones that seemed to shine in the shadows of the cafe. The man was standing next to Hange who of course was tearing up themselves as they started to clap and Eren saw the shorter man jab them in the side. Did he not like the song? His facial expression seemed different but Eren could have sworn that he saw something far too similar in the man's eyes; hopelessness, the same kind of heartache and sadness that Eren was feeling, but he must have been imagining it.

As the music stopped completely, there was an eerie silence in the air before the whole entire place erupted in claps as people stood up, some of them wiping their faces. Eren didn't think that he could feel joy like this so soon, especially after not having performed in a long time. But the noise these people were making gave Eren a new sense of belief in himself. 

"Eren! I didn't know that you were so talented!" Hange exclaimed as they pulled him into an unexpected hug.

"Your voice.. the lyrics, you are a treasure! Not only are you adorable beyond belief, but the way you sang and let your emotions bleed into the song.. you're hired!" They let the boy go after a while and ruffled his hair, a gleeful smile practically stained on their face before grunting as the shorter man came up from behind them and jabbed them once more in the side.

"Oh that's right, you haven't met Levi," they stated and pointed to the man with jet black hair and piercing eyes.

"That's because you don't think shit through," Levi muttered as he shook his head and pinched the bridge of his nose. "But, shitty glasses is right," he spoke as he extended his hand for Eren to shake, "..your singing was good," he finished and the green-eyed boy gladly taking the smaller hand in his as he shook it.

"T..thank you," Eren began and laughed nervously as he rubbed the back of his head with his free hand. "It's... been a while since I've written music and played so I was really nervous," he muttered and took his hand back before he bent down and put his guitar away, taking the iPod as well as a boy handed it to him. "But I'm glad I was able to touch the audience with my song tonight, I forgot just how much I love showing people new ways to feel their emotions and experience them."

The boy realized he was beginning to ramble and he began to apologize when Hange cut him off. "Nonsense, we all loved it. Levi, get him the paperwork he needs to fill out I'm going to relieve Connie for his break," they spoke and patted the raven's shoulder before disappearing.

"Tsk.. they always leave me the boring shit to do," he muttered; probably to himself, Eren thought as he shifted in his spot, his body for some reason becoming overwhelmingly nervous.

"You started crying when you were singing," Levi spoke bluntly as he turned around to head towards the back room, expecting the other to follow him. That was one way to honestly call Eren out for it, but Eren hardly thought it was to be rude.

Eren nodded silently and followed the other, a faint blush spreading across his ears and lower neck as he let out a sheepish laugh. "..I yeah.. all the songs I write have a connection to me somehow," he tried to explain, green eyes looking at the man's hair cut, it's been a while since he saw someone with an undercut and he wondered if they were going back in style.

"..Heartache," Levi spoke, holding the back door open for the other as Eren walked through, standing in the middle of the room so he wasn't in the way. "It's what I could feel from the song," he continued to talk as he went behind his desk and pulled out a small stack of papers.

"These are all just tax forms and federal shit you have to fill out," Levi muttered and finally sank back into his seat, his hand gesturing for the other to pull up a seat and sit down.

"It's been a long, long time since pieces of music have been able to make me feel something like that, and by the reaction from the crowd you were able to make them feel that too." Usually, Levi didn't talk this much, so the raven wondered why he was trying to explain himself and reassure the boy that his song was good.

Eren felt relief flood through him as the other practically complimented his song, a shy smile forming on his lips as he felt his ears get hot once more. "I saw you in the crowd towards the end of the song...I thought for a second that you might not have liked it," Eren admitted and looked down at the small file of papers before grabbing a pen from a stack and started to fill them out. This wasn't going to be a full-time thing, but it gave Eren a sense of belonging that he was going to be performing as his job; it made him one step closer to achieving his dream of showing the world what he could do.

Levi shook his head, eyes locking onto a picture of Erwin and him at the aquarium. Levi hated anything that swam, but Erwin loved the ocean and they made a compromise that they'd go to the aquarium before even suggesting going to the beach or ocean. It was a fond memory and it made Levi realize that they hadn't been that happy for a long time. Just what was he going with his life?

"So you're being hired to play every Friday night, but if there's ever a time you want to play during the weekends just text us to see if it's busy enough," Levi spoke and after a second he took a pen and wrote something on a piece of paper before handing it to Eren. "Its Hange's and my number. As annoying as we can all be, we're like a family here so don't hesitate to text or call us if you have any problems or questions," Levi spoke and took the pile of papers Eren had signed and filled out.

The brunette took the paper in exchange, looking down to see two different numbers on the paper along with names. Levi had small and neat handwriting and it was almost comical how well it fits with his personality; from what Eren could see. "Thank you.." he muttered and started to get up once all of his paperwork was done.

"I'm glad I was able to make the night a bit better," Eren finished before putting the piece of paper in his pocket and grabbing his guitar case and iPod. "I should be going, I have another job I have to get to in the morning and I need all the sleep I can get," he spoke with a breathy laugh and headed towards the door. 

"No need to thank us, you're doing us a favor," Levi spoke from his desk, not bothering to lift his gaze to look at the boy as he left. And when Eren was finally out of the room Levi made a puzzled face and locked his hands together as he brought them up to his face. The boy, as Hange put it- was adorable, and there was something about Eren that made Levi worried; he had a feeling deep down in his cut that this boy was going to be bothersome.


	4. Chapter 4- Music Can't Fix This Problem

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 'And irritated? Well, that's because Jean had the audacity to message him something like that. He'd ignore it for now but even he had his own breaking point with patience.'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've had a few comments on Jean always being the bad guy and listen (I love Jean), and I'll be writing some JeanxEren stuff, but for this story, it just played out a bit differently.
> 
> Enjoy!

Eren woke up to three surprising text messages at 8 am, all from the same person. Eren regretted even looking at his phone the moment he realized who it was, and part of him just wanted to shut his phone off completely.

[7:02 am] Babe it's been two weeks, please let's talk about this. -Jean

[7:30 am] I know I hurt you but please, don't throw away all of the years that we had together. -Jean

[7:51 am] Don't give up on us, I know we can make it. -Jean

Eren let out a sigh, the pain in his chest swallowing him whole as he shut his phone off and tossed it to the side of the bed as he got up, swinging his legs over the side of the bed and pushing himself up, a shiver running down his spine as his feet touched the cold wood.

"Not today," he muttered to himself and for just a half-second he looked at the other side of the bed that was still neatly made, and Eren wanted nothing more than to see Jean underneath those covers. But he knew that could never happen. Jean broke the only rule that they had together, the most important thing that Eren valued; commitment. Another sigh graced his lips as he walked towards the shower, turning it on and setting the temperature to just about burning hot. He discarded his clothes, tossing them in the hamper as he got in, and quickly washed himself off. It was going to be another long day at the hospital and Eren was not in the mood to talk to people, especially those who were sick, angry, or both.

He hoped out of the shower not even ten minutes later, grabbing a towel that was hanging on the wall and towel-dried his hair before wrapping it around his waist. He headed towards his closet, picking up his dirty clothes from last night and throwing them in the hamper when he stopped and pulled out a piece of paper from his pants before tossing them in with the rest of the clothes that needed to be washed.

"His number," Eren muttered, and of course Hange's too. He should probably put them in his phone, he knew that at some point he would need to get in contact with them. But his phone was shut off and Eren didn't feel like turning it back on and facing the unopened messages from Jean just yet. So instead, he put the piece of paper on his nightstand before discarding his towel and walking over to his closet.

The good thing about working at his father's hospital was that he could either wear scrubs or work causal clothes which made this whole process a lot easier. He pulled out some boxers, slipping them on before looking through his work pants, deciding that maybe if he looked nice and tried to be in a better mood it would lift his own spirits. With that in mind, he grabbed a pair of black slacks, pulling them up before grabbing a belt and slipping it through the loops before buckling. The fabric was stiff and that's when he remembered that Jean did a few loads of laundry and forgot to add fabric softener; so when Jean ironed all of Eren's work pants they got a bit stiff. It was a funny memory, a happy remembrance of how happy the two of them were, or was Eren the only one that was happy this whole time?

He let out a weak laugh, shaking his head in annoyance to himself as his fingers pushed hangers back as he searched for a shirt. He pulled out a dark ivory shirt, the same color as the leaves on his guitar, and he slid his arms through before buttoning it up, leaving two undone before finishing the look with a matching black suit jacket. Eren had to admit, he was just a tad impressed with himself. He looked decent; hell he could even say that he thought he looked good. It's been a while since Eren tried to dress up, and maybe this really would lift his spirits a bit. A boost of confidence never hurt anyone.

With that in mind, the rest of his morning went by fairly quickly. He got to work on time and even found a good parking spot which never, ever happens. Maybe today was going to be his lucky day. He still hadn't turned his phone on, and right before he left the house that morning he shoved the piece of paper with Levi's number on it in his back pocket. 

"Well don't you look dapper," Ymir spoke from behind the main desk, her freckles looking ridiculously bold with her yellow scrubs contrasting the pigment of her skin. Bright colors looked good on her and Eren was glad that Historia persuaded Ymir to start wearing more flattering colors. Then again, Historia also had Ymir wrapped around her finger so Eren was sure that the freckled girl would do just about anything that the blonde asked.

Eren only shook his head with an innocent eye roll and picked up any mail for the hospital. Being second of command at the hospital was nice, but because he didn't have a medical degree like his father, Eren was in charge of communication and making sure that the hospital had enough finances... which, to be honest, was a huge pain in the ass.

"I decided I couldn't look like a heartbroken slob forever," he replied to Ymir as he sorted through the mail, taking note that another rival hospital had sent them a letter. He wondered if it was another suggestion of merging the two hospitals; like that would ever happen.

Ymir let out an annoyed grunt as she turned her attention back to her computer, making sure that all the nurses on each floor were where they were supposed to be and were doing their reports. Ymir was the supervising nurse and it was her duty to make sure that everyone else was following protocol. She didn't interact much with patients, but it seemed like a good thing because she tended to be a bit rough around the edges. Why Historia, a pure and kindhearted person fell in love with that, Eren would never know.

"Well the bags under your eyes still make you look like shit, don't forget to sleep, Eren." She spoke, eyes flickering up for a brief moment before she went back to her own work. "You better hurry up to your office, Mikasa got in a few minutes ago and you know how your sister is," Ymir finished.

Knowing that Mikasa was already waiting for him made Eren want to turn right back around and go home, but he knew better than anyone that he should just rip the bandaid off and find out what she needed before she went searching for him.

"We need to talk," Mikasa spoke as soon as Eren opened the door to his office, a sigh fell from his lips as he saw his sister sitting in a chair across from his desk, her legs crossed as well as her arms. Well, this didn't seem good and for the life of him, Eren wasn't sure what this was going to be about. It couldn't have been anything he had done, he has actually been completing his paperwork surprisingly. 

"Okay.." he muttered hesitantly and sat down, putting the mail on top of his desk as he turned on his computer and let his eyes rest on Mikasa.

"So tell me, what's going on?" He asked, and the girl hesitated, and that made Eren worry. She never hesitated which could only mean one of two things. 1. She is livid and about to explode which meant Eren needed to take cover. 2. Or she is worried about either the hospital or Eren, which he had under control.

"I saw we got another letter from the rival hospital across town. St. Rose is being persistent that we merge the hospitals and create a new branch," she stated, her hand reaching into her pocket before taking out a letter.

"They sent one to me too, stating that it would be best if our hospital stopped running privately. They think all we're doing is stealing patients and overcharging them." Eren should have known by the unopened letter he had gotten from St. Rose this morning, but the fact that they suggested they were corrupt in ways of overcharging their patients? That ticked the brunette off in more than one way.

"That's ridiculous; father always put our patients first and payments later.. that doesn't make any sense," he muttered; throwing the letter from them in the garbage along with the rest of the junk mail he had received.

"Well, no matter... it's not going to happen," he replied as he shook his head and looked up at his sister who still had a concerned look on her face, and now he was more worried. Mikasa was always smarter than him...and more clever. She thought of outcomes that no one else would have and that's how they've managed to accomplish so much. She was the major brains of the company and that's why she was in charge of international relations and management.

"Father is thinking about it, Eren." She spoke, breaking the silence as she readjusted in her seat, crossing her legs the opposite way. It was clear by her attitude and posture that she wasn't happy about the situation, but by bringing it up to Eren herself, he knew that she was considering it as well.

"I told him it would be damaging to our reputation and putting our connections with other hospitals at risk, but it seems like that is a risk he is willing to take." Was their father an idiot? Why would their father even consider for one moment that a merge would be a good idea?

"So.." Mikasa started again and tugged on the red scarf wrapped around her neck.

"I had the idea that it's time that you take over the company. Father's still practicing medicine, but you know more about the company than he does," she suggested, and just thinking about this whole situation was giving Eren a headache.

That was definitely not what he was expecting and it definitely caught him off guard.

"Mikasa.." he breathed, trying not to get irritated or overwhelmed by the whole thing. He knew that because she was suggesting it, she had a backup plan available in order to prevent the merge.

"Right now really isn't a good time.. with what happened with Jean...and me getting back into music, I can't think about running a whole hospital with where I am currently," he stated and ran both of his hands through his hair. It wasn't that he hated the idea, he trusted himself more than his father to run the company, but it was a huge commitment that Eren wasn't sure he wanted to tackle right now.

To his surprise, she didn't push him on the idea. Normally Mikasa would explain, in-depth, why this would be a good idea and why Eren should just do it for the sake of the hospital. Instead, she just nodded and after a moment stood from the chair as she turned to leave.

"I know it's been hard, I've been controlling myself from finding Jean and killing him myself.. so take your time. I'll do my best to prolong it as much as possible." And with that, she left, closing the door behind her to leave Eren in an empty room with a thousand thoughts running in his head.

He grumbled to himself, leaning back in his chair as he pulled out a folded piece of paper, turning his phone on and letting it load before inputting some numbers and sending a text. He didn't expect to get a reply, but he at least wanted to thank Levi again for the opportunity.

[11:45 am] Hi its Eren! Just wanted to thank you again for giving me the job, I promise I won't let you guys down! -EJ

He sent the message and set his phone on his desk, turning his attention to his computer as he looked through his emails; starting to respond to a supplier when his phone went off.

[11:58 am] You make it sound as if we offered you a record deal or something. Don't worry about it. -Levi

There was no reason for Eren to get giddy as he wiped a stupid smile off his face. He couldn't help but be excited that he found a place where he could play and didn't have to worry about others not understanding it. 

[12:10 pm] I wanted to ask if I could play tonight, I know it's a weekend, and I just got hired, but it's been so long since I've played. I'm like a kid on Christmas morning. -EJ

He laughed at his own message, hoping his new boss didn't think he was too childish, and went back to his email, asking the supplier if there was any way that they could bundle their next shipment so they could save a bit of money. Usually, it worked out in his favor. A 10% really isn't that much considering how big the orders were for a hospital, plus it would make the supplier look more credible to other businesses so, in reality, it was a win-win opportunity for the both of them.

Just as he was finishing his email and hitting send, his phone went off twice and Eren quickly grabbed his phone to see who they were from.

[12:25 pm] What are you, five? Let me ask Hange how business should be but I don't see why not. -Levi

[12:27 pm] They told me that they hurt that you haven't messaged them yet. And Hange said there is a block party happening down the road from the shop so business should be good this evening. -Levi

Eren laughed, and he could see Hange now, pouting and crossing their arms as if they were distraught that Eren hadn't messaged them. They seemed like a down to earth person and Eren was lucky that the owners were so nice. Well, Levi seemed a bit cold, but Eren didn't think of it as rude, Levi just seemed distant. Just as Eren was about to respond his phone lit up with a message from an unsaved number and he didn't have to guess to know who it was.

[12:31pm] Eren! I'm hurt you didn't message me first! But I get it, Levi's a looker. Most people tend to migrate towards him :( -Hange

The brunette felt a warmth spread across his face and he quickly shook his head even if no one was there to see it. 

[12:33 pm] No! That's.. not why I messaged him. His number was just the first one on the piece of paper he gave me, that's all. -EJ

It wasn't a complete lie, because his number was first, but there was something about the shorter man that Eren couldn't put his finger on. Maybe Eren wanted to get the other to show more emotion, have his music move Levi in a way that made him smile, cry, and laugh. Levi definitely didn't seem like the type to do any of that which made this new challenge so much more enticing. 

Eren closed his email and got up from his office, knowing he should make his way around the hospital to check on each unit, making sure that everyone was alright and didn't need any extra help. Eren couldn't medically do much, but there were times where he would be in the waiting room and talk to people, listen to their suggestions and tell them that he would take them on personally, which he did. That was another good thing about being a smaller, private hospital. You were able to connect with your patients and staff and actually attend to each problem that came about. If they were to merge hospitals.. all of that would be ruined.

Eren's phone buzzed again and he looked down to see a text from Levi and Hange, plus another text from Jean. When was Jean going to get the idea that he didn't want to talk and there was no way that they would be able to worth through something like this?

[1:00 pm] You busy? You never responded. -Levi

[1:02 pm] Sure, that's the reason. As if your beautiful green eyes didn't try to soak up Levi the minute you saw him... Joking!! -Hange

[1:03 pm] You have to answer me at some point, Eren. I love you. -Jean

Eren felt flustered yet irritated at the same time. Flustered because Hange's joke made him nervous and he began to overthink everything about last night, though he knew that Hange was probably just poking fun at him because he was the new guy. And irritated? Well, that's because Jean had the audacity to message him something like that. He'd ignore it for now but even he had his own breaking point with patience.

He quickly responded to his new bosses as he walked out of his office and locked the door, heading to the biggest unit first; ICU.

[1:05 pm] [To Levi] Sorry! Hange messaged me and I forgot to reply to your message. I'll be there, same time. -EJ

[1:07 pm] [To Hnage] You keep poking fun at me and I'll go sing at another cafe. >:( -EJ

He quickly shoved his phone in his back pocket as he walked into the elevator and hit the down button, knowing that for the rest of the day it would be hard to keep checking his phone. For now, he didn't need to respond, especially if he would be seeing them tonight.


	5. Chapter 5- Don't Touch Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Levi had been so lost in thought that he didn't hear someone enter the room, but when he heard a gasp fall from their lips, something in Levi's chest dropped into his stomach and Levi didn't know why he suddenly felt guilty for the other to see the band on his finger.
> 
> "Eren.." Levi muttered, dark locks falling into his face as he shifted in his chair, hoping that he didn't bring attention to his neck. The last thing he needed was additional worry from a new employee.
> 
> "I didn't know you were married,"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **TW**-Signs/Depictions of physical assault. (ONLY CHAPTER W/TW!!)
> 
> I honestly don't know how I came to writing this but- here we are. (Pls no hate or shame for Erwin's character. I love all characters, this is just how it played out)

Levi looked down at his phone as he sat on the couch as if he was waiting for a reply, a navy blue blanket wrapped around his legs and feet with a cup of tea and a book lying beside him on the coffee table. The new kid seemed nice enough, and his voice was.. well beautiful. Levi would never admit that out loud to anyone.. ever, but if it was just his own thoughts there was no reason not to be honest. Hange did a good job finding a kid with such a great talent, and hell he wasn't bad to look at either. Levi was sure that with Eren performing in the evenings on Fridays and sometimes on the weekends, it would definitely boost their sales.

He was so wrapped in his own thoughts he didn't hear to door open or close, and when he felt someone else behind him and chapped lips pressing against his neck, he dropped his phone and turned around quickly to see Erwin with a puzzled face. So the man wouldn't talk to him, but it was perfectly fine to touch him? Levi thought the fuck not.

"Don't touch me if you aren't going to talk to me," He started with a blank stare, his eyes wandering over his fiance. His suit looked disheveled and there were parts of his shirt that were wrinkled. Levi knew that it wasn't like that before because he had been the one to iron it and he never left wrinkles...which meant.. no, Levi wasn't going to get into it with him today. He was tired and had to work later tonight, all he wanted to do was relax with the time he had left. The last thing that he wanted was to start another argument. 

Erwin remained quiet for a moment or two before bending forward and reaching his hand out to grab Levi's phone, to which the raven did the same and went to grab it back. "What the hell, Erwin. Give it back." Levi wasn't in some playing mood, and if Erwin's shirt was wrinkled because of the reason Levi thought it was, he wasn't going to let Erwin do shit.

"You got spooked when you noticed I was behind you and locked your phone. Is there something you're hiding from me?" He asked in a low voice, and for some reason, Levi felt like he should be scared. But no, Levi wasn't hiding anything. He wasn't the one who was breaking promises, he wasn't the one who was being unfaithful, Erwin had no right to question any of Levi's actions.

"W..What? Why the hell would I need to hide anything from you?" Levi retorted, reaching up for his phone once more, only to have Erwin turn around and unlock it with the password they both knew. 

"Whose EJ?" Erwin asked as he held up Levi's phone, his conversation with Eren being the last thing he checked on his phone. There wasn't anything for him to be ashamed of though, Eren was an employee and there was no way that Levi would ever think about doing what Erwin had done to him. 

"What the fuck, Erwin? He's a new employee Hange and I hired last night," he explained and to Levi, this whole situation was just ridiculous. One would think that Levi wouldn't be as careless as Erwin was and leave private messages open for anyone to see. As if.

"He's going to be singing and playing music on Friday nights, you know we've been looking for someone." Why did Erwin look like he was getting frustrated? It made absolutely no sense, there was nothing for Levi to hide because there wasn't anything going on.

"Hange was looking for someone. You thought it was a waste of time. Yet here you are, messaging him rather quickly when you don't even respond to my messages." Now it was Levi's turn to get pissed. His eyes widened and he quickly got off the couch as he walked directly up to Erwin and grabbed his phone.

"That's because I was fucking mad, Erwin!" Levi shouted, his brow furrowing together as he took a deep breath, his free hand pushing dark locks out of his face; he definitely needed a hair cut.

"You were talking.. to other guys.. you- you were flirting and sending sexual messages to people who aren't your fiance.. yet you have the god damn nerve to accuse me of the same shit you're doing?!" The more Levi talked the more angry he got, which meant the louder his voice became. By the time he was done talking he had been shouting and he didn't care if the neighbors heard. There was absolutely no need for this, Erwin was crossing a li-

There was a loud slap then silence as Levi lifted his hand to his cheek, eyes wide as he looked up at Erwin in surprise who didn't seem to be bothered by it at all. Did Erwin really raise a hand to him when he was standing up for himself? Had it really gotten to the point where Erwin physically harmed him?

"Don't you dare talk to me like that," the blonde muttered as he took a few steps forward, making Levi step backward. What had gotten into Erwin? He had never, ever hit him before. Yet all of the sudden the blonde thought it would be okay to lay a hand on him? Oh hell no. 

"..Y..You need to leave," Levi muttered quietly as his eyes fell to the floor. His cheek burned and felt hot and he knew that there was going to be an imprint of the other man's hand on the side of his face. Levi begged to himself that the mark would go away by the time he had to go to work. But right now Erwin had to leave because for the first time Levi was actually scared and he didn't want to be around Erwin when he was like this.

"Excuse me?" Was all Erwin said before Levi felt a hand on his wrist, squeezing around Levi's pale skin until Levi let out a quiet cry and tried to pull away.

"Erwin, let go you're hurting me.." Levi muttered, only to have the other push him onto the couch, the male quickly moving on top of him as he pinned Levi's arms above him. "Shut up," Erwin muttered, his once beautiful blue eyes going dark with rage and lust and Levi knew what was coming next and he was petrified. Erwin had never acted like this, why the sudden change? What had made Erwin turn so violent? Was Levi the cause of all of this?

Levi didn't realize how much of a disadvantage he was in until he tried to get away, the other hovering on top of him with all of his weight. All Levi could do was move his leg a little bit but nothing else.

"..Let me go... Erwin.." Levi muttered almost helplessly, his voice just about quivering as he looked up at his fiance with pleading eyes.

What came next left Levi terrified, his body shuttering at the contact from Erwin's hand around his throat, and for the first time in years Levi felt tears stream down his face, a quiet sob filling the silence between them as he shook his head.

"..I.. Erwin I have to go to work," he muttered- hoping that the other would come to his sense and let him go. The tighter Erwin clenched his hand around Levi's throat the more he knew that his life could be in danger and he tried to push and fight back.

Maybe Levi's words started to get to him because Erwin paused, his body slowly lifting off of the others as he looked at Levi in a sort of shocked state; as if he didn't know what he was doing. Did the blonde regret his actions? Good because what Erwin had done couldn't be forgotten and Levi certainly wasn't going to forgive him. He had never been touched, hurt in such a way that left his body feeling empty and his heart in chaos.

Levi used his hands to wipe away the drying tears from his face, sitting up from the couch as the other stood up. Levi's eyes locked onto the floor as he rubbed his throat which elicited a wince and it took him a second before he stood up and took a few steps towards the bedroom.

"I want you gone by the time I'm getting ready for work," Levi muttered with his back facing his Fiance. Was..could Levi really continue this relationship with a man who had just laid his hand on him twice? Could Levi love someone who could easily be unfaithful, hurting the person they were supposed to love not only physically but emotionally as well?

When Levi got to the room he quickly closed the door, locking it behind him as he moved in front of the mirror. It was almost sickening what he saw, his eyes looking foreign to him, swollen and red. His neck, just like his eyes were red and swollen, a discoloration of blue and purple starting to make its way across Levi's neck. This was bad, people were going to ask questions and Levi wasn't one to lie; he hated liars. Levi lifted his cold fingers to touch his face, fingers brushing down to his neck, faint red marks outlining on his pale skin. It would be wise to wear a scarf to work tonight, but even if he did there was no way Hange wouldn't pick up on his behavior. They might be an airhead, but they weren't stupid. When it came to the people that mattered, Hange was clever than most.

"..Fuck.." Levi breathed to himself, his feet guiding him to his closet as he started to pick out what he was going to wear to work. Levi couldn't help but want to blame himself, even if he hadn't anything wrong. He knew that Erwin had lost control, that it was the blondes fault for acting out like this.. yet Levi still couldn't help the voice in the back of his head that told him he was the reason for Erwin's actions; why he was cheating.. why he had hurt him. Levi stopped looking in his closet, fingers lingering on the hangers as he let out a sigh, why out of all times was his insecurities telling him that he deserved the formulating bruise around his throat?

It took Levi longer to get ready, finally pulling a light blue button-down from his closet and quickly putting it on, followed by dark grey pants and a matching suit jacket. He refused to look in the mirror, knowing that the bruise wasn't going to be getting any better. 

Levi's hand lingered on the doorknob, his movements hesitant as he opened the door, half expecting Erwin to still be there, but the house was empty and the silence made Levi feel cold and extremely vulnerable. Levi glanced at the silver watch on his wrist, knowing that he couldn't prolong the inevitable as he grabbed his phone that had fallen to the floor during the encounter. He didn't check it as he shoved it in his jacket pocket before heading towards the front door. There was nothing that he could do about the past, but Levi started to wonder just what he wanted in the future.

\-------------

"What.. the hell happened?!" Hange gasped as Levi walked into the backroom of the shop, an overly tired sigh falling from his lips as he sat down at his desk, immediately grabbing the pictures of Erwin and him, tossing them directly into the trash without saying a word. Levi didn't need to say anything because Hange was starting to put it all together and it didn't take them long before the silence in the air shifted and she started to get up from her seat.

"No...Levi... Erwin didn't.." Hange's voice sounded so full of concern and Levi knew at that moment he couldn't deny any of it.

"He.." Levi began as he sighed and looked at his desk. "..I've never seen him like that," he almost whispered, a hand grabbing a hold of his drawer as he opened it, taking out his engagement ring and setting it in the middle of the desk. Part of him wanted to throw it away, knowing that that would probably be the easiest option for him.

"..Erwin looked through my phone and saw me messaging Eren about working tonight.." He muttered and shook his head. "All of a sudden he just... lost it." Levi couldn't even think of why Erwin would get so mad, the messages were professional, the messages meant nothing. 

So why?

Levi's voice was quiet, full of confusion as he tried to make sense of the whole situation, but the more he thought about it the more it hurt and the more complicated it became. "..And this.. all happened after he comes home from sleeping with someone else." Levi forced out a broken laugh, the bitterness evident in his voice. What gave him the fucking right?

Hange however, when Levi finally looked up at them, their eyes were still glued to the man and they walked over to him, one of their hands slowly reaching out to touch the faint bruise that was beginning to darken. 

"Please...Levi...please tell me you aren't going to stay with him," they muttered in a soft and comforting voice.

Their touch reminded him of his mother's touch, and he knew his mother would be reacting the same way. He let himself lean into the other's comforting touch for a brief moment.

"To be honest...I'm scared to be alone," he quietly admitted, feeling almost ashamed for had saying such a thing.

Levi and Erwin had been together for years, they were together for about five years, graduating from college and getting jobs; to getting a house together and imagining their lives together as they grew old. But now, none of that mattered. Now he was expected to leave all of that behind and it terrified him. 

Hange finally broke the silence that seemed to have set in, their voice remaining calm although Levi could tell by the look in their eyes that they were furious.

"Levi, you need to leave him.. that..what he didn't wasn't okay." They pulled their hand away, frowning as they turned around and grabbed a jacket from her desk. "It's almost 7, Eren should be here soon... if you don't want to come out and see him perform you don't have to," they stated before giving the other a reassuring smile before dipping into the front of the store.

Levi knew for a fact that they were right; staying with Erwin was probably going to get him hurt again, both emotionally and physically. But leaving him was going to be one of the hardest things that he would ever have to do.

Grey eyes drifted to the silver ring, picking it up and putting it on his finger, holding it back to look at the band on his wedding finger. The band was beautiful but it didn't feel right wearing it now. Levi could still vividly remember the day that the both of them picked their rings out. Both of them so eager, so happy to be taking the next step in their lives together.

Levi had been so lost in thought that he didn't hear someone enter the room, but when he heard a gasp fall from their lips, something in Levi's chest dropped into his stomach and Levi didn't know why he suddenly felt guilty for the other to see the band on his finger.

"Eren.." Levi muttered, dark locks falling into his face as he shifted in his chair, hoping that he didn't bring attention to his neck. The last thing he needed was additional worry from a new employee.

"I didn't know you were married," Eren stated flatly.

Levi looked up to meet green eyes and something in them seemed sad, and once again Levi felt like this was his fault, the hidden and unexplained pain behind Eren's eyes was his doing, it was his fault. Levi didn't quite understand why the other looked distraught, and by the look of Eren neither did he.

"I'm not.." Levi muttered, hesitant to explain the situation. He quickly took off the ring, setting it back down on the table.

Levi had almost thought that had been successful in hiding the now deep purple bruise that was coloring across his neck, but when Levi started to talk he saw Eren's body language change and he knew that Eren was catching on.

"I'm engaged but.." Levi didn't really know how to finished that thought, but his eyes flickered up when he heard the other take a few steps forward, and Levi froze when the other's hand reached out and slowly tucked the strands of black behind Levi's ear. "Who did this?" Eren asked quietly, though it was clear as day in Eren's voice that he was angry.

Levi winced, not out of pain but out of an ache in his chest.

"He didn't mean to.." Levi stated, and he knew that as soon as he defended Erwin's actions that it was a bad idea. Eren's whole body composure changed, his brows furrowing as if he was trying really hard to hold something back.

"That's not a fucking excuse," Eren retorted, and Levi had to wonder why a boy he had just met seemed so angry about something that didn't concern him.

There was an uncomfortable silence again and Eren's gaze dropped to the floor as he let out a sigh.

"I'm sorry...I know I don't know you very well.. but.." Eren paused and clasped his own hands together as he mentally tried to think of the best way to say what was on his mind.

"..I've seen how bad situations like this cant get...no one deserves to be treated like that." Eren shook his head slowly, letting his memory take him back to a past he had tried so hard to forget.

Eren was grateful for the help his father gave him and he was lucky that his father didn't just run out on them. However, he would never forget the late-night fights between his parents; the screaming, and the 'accidents' that seemed to befall his mother. His childhood was built upon lies of a happy household when behind closed doors it was really the opposite. When his mother died of Lupus Eren's father supposedly turned a new leaf. His father emerged himself in his company, building the hospital it was today; but that didn't mean that the past could be forgotten.

Eren snapped out of his own memory, wondering how long he had been silent. "..You don't deserve to be hurt.." his voice was almost a whisper, and part of Eren wished that there was something that he could do.

"I know I don't have any right to tell you..we just met for Christ's sake.. but Levi.." the way Eren said his name made Levi's heart drop into his stomach, it was like he could hear the concern and aching of Eren's own heart in the way he spoke his name.

Green eyes looked back at the raven and Eren slowly reached his hand out to graze against Levi's neck, his warm fingertips tracing against the perfectly formed bruise.

"You deserve to be happy and to always be treated with kindness." Eren's words were genuine, honest to the point where it almost scared Levi. How could almost a complete stranger be so kind to him; how could Eren show such sympathy?

The silence between them seemed to linger, Levi not knowing how to respond because, in reality, he was so surprised, he never saw someone care so much for someone he barely knew.

"..You start soon," Levi finally spoke; his voice quiet yet audible between the two of them. "Go get ready, I'll be out in a second," he finished, and when Eren finally pulled his hand away he felt the coldness return, and for a split second, he craved the warmth that used to be there.

But Eren nodded, taking a few steps back as he brushed himself off, eyes lingering on the shorter man for just a second before he picked his guitar back up and ducked into the front of the store.

"Fuck.." Levi breathed once he was finally alone, the pain in his heart starting to drowned him. He needed a distraction, something to get his mind off of the truth that his relationship was failing and he felt completely trapped.

And as the music started to play and Levi heard the familiar strumming of Eren's guitar he knew that listening to Eren, for now, would be the perfect distraction.


	6. Chapter 6- Hello Old Friend

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I did, but that was after I found out he was engaged too," he muttered, trying his best to not make it sound like he was so hurt. Eren just started working here, the last thing he needed was to get too emotionally wrapped up in somebody else's problems; he needed to fix his first.

[For this chapter it would be best to listen to the song, You Said You'd Grow Old With Me; I have no rights to this song, Michael Schulte owns the rights.]

"So you saw," Hange stated as they walked up to Eren who was getting ready on stage; maybe his grimace was too noticeable. Eren stopped hooking the microphone up, letting his eyes look up at Hange as he let out a long sigh.

"I did, but that was after I found out he was engaged too," he muttered, trying his best to not make it sound like he was so hurt. Eren just started working here, the last thing he needed was to get too emotionally wrapped up in somebody else's problems; he needed to fix his first.

Hange nodded, bending down to their knees so they were eye level with the brunette who seemed to be making himself busy untangling the cords to the sound system and microphone.

"He hasn't worn his ring in awhile. It's not my business to talk about his personal problems, but I can tell you that things aren't going well." Hange paused and pushed their glasses up, letting one of their hands reach out to ruffle Eren's hair which earned them a surprised, 'oof.' They could tell the other cared, hell by the way he sang his songs Hange knew that his heart was too big to handle and his soul tried to reach out to as many people as possible.

"It's not like I'm upset about the marriage..." Eren started, eyes searching Hange to try and see just what they were thinking.

"I just.. I've seen abuse before and it..it makes me so angry to know that someone can just do that to another person, especially if they care about them." His words seemed rushed as if he was trying not to sound upset, his eyes drifting back to the ball of wires as he shrugged.

"Sometimes I just care too much."

Hange only smiled, glad that their intuition was right about the boy. He was sweet, he cared. It was exactly what the shop needed, and if they were going, to be honest with just themselves, Eren was something that Levi needed too. Now Hange wasn't a matchmaker, but something was telling them that just possibly, the two of them would be good for each other.

Instead, they only laughed, nodding as they pushed themselves up from their knees. "You're a good kid Eren, the world needs more people like you," they stated before giving him a quick salute as they headed off stage.

"You're up in five."

The comment only made Eren sigh again as he gave up untangling the wired mess and stood up, unlocking his guitar case as he tuned his guitar, making some of the strings a bit tighter. Since Jean, Eren's been on a row with writing songs. He found it almost therapeutic and writing songs was one of the only ways he could truly get his feelings across.

Connie came up from behind the stage, leaning over to Eren as he finished fixing his guitar, his brow raising as he listened to Connie's request. "Well I've never serenaded someone I didn't have feelings for.. but if you want me to sing to her for you I will," he stated with a faint laugh.

Connie was a sweet guy; he's only talked to him a few times since this was technically his second day, but he could tell the guy wasn't capable of any harm. "I'll give you my number after the show and you can give me the details," Eren offered, and with that Connie bowed which amused Eren, and Eren pointed to the song he wanted Connie to play from his iPod.

"Press play whenever you're ready."

As soon as the music started to play the cafe got quiet, people's heads turning in his direction as they stopped whatever conversations they were having before the music.

The beat was a bit different than his last song, but the lyrics had the same undertone of heartbreak, and Eren hoped that his message of feeling lost would get across.

"I'd like to say I'm okay, but I'm not.."  
"I try, but I fall.."  
"Close my mind, turn it off"

More instruments started to wind into the beat, Eren looking into the crowd as he tried to get familiar with some of the faces he's seen before.

"...You said you'd grow old with me.."

Eren's chest tightened as he sang the last verse, his mind trailing back to the idea he and Jean had about eventually getting married and even starting a family together. Those thoughts were just memories now, knowing that those ideas would never come true.

"But I can't be sober, I cannot sleep.."  
"You've got your peace now, but what about me?"

Eren wondered when this sadness would turn to hate when he could finally start to accept the fact that none of this was his fault, that Jean was the one who decided to ruin everything.

"Thought we had the time, had our lives.."  
"Now you'll never get older, older,"  
"Didn't say goodbye, now I'm frozen in time,"

It had been as if Jean had died, and in Eren's mind the Jean that he knew, the man he fell in love with was dead. He no longer recognized the man he had lived with, the man he made love with..it was as if all that happiness died the moment Eren saw him with someone else.

"Getting colder, colder,"  
"One last word.."  
"One last moment,"  
"To ask you why you left me here behind.."  
"You said you'd grow old with me.."

Eren felt his voice choke up, and when he sang the last verse his voice just cracked slightly from holding back tears, he couldn't make it routine that he cried each time he performed.

"Thought we had the time, had our lives.."  
"Now you'll never get older, older."  
"Didn't say goodbye, now I'm frozen in time..."  
"Getting colder, colder,"

Eren scanned the room, his eyes finding Hange who seemed entranced by his words and he wondered if they were able to relate to the words. Their eyes seemed like they shined and he wondered if it was the reflection of their glasses or if they were tearing up.

"Just one last word.."  
"One last moment,"  
"Just to ask you why you left me here behind..."

Green eyes finally met grey as he started to sing the verse, his chest seizing up as he saw Levi standing in the corner with an ice pack pressed against his face. How long had he been watching? Eren hoped, almost prayed that these lyric would find Levi somehow, hoping the words laced around the shorter man's ears and stuck with him

Being alone is scary, leaving someone hurts; but surviving..living.. that's what is most important,

"You said you'd grow old with me."

His voice trailed off and faded as he played a few last notes as the music started to get quieter until it stopped, his eyes dropping to the floor for just a second as anxiety kicked in. Once again he hoped that the audience enjoyed the song, and before he knew it he started to hear clapping, green eyes darting up to see people smiling and even some seeming like the lyrics really made a difference to them.

Eren's face started to flushed the longer they all started to clap, and he had to put his guitar down and quickly walk off stage before he died from embarrassment.

"Once again you stole the crowd with that beautiful voice of yours," Hange spoke as they pulled the boy into a surprising hug, Eren letting out a breath of air as Hange squeezed.

"You're gonna kill him," Levi muttered as he set the ice pack down, crossing his arms as he leaned again the cafe's counter. "..You did good kid." He spoke and averted his gaze, and Eren would have liked to think it was because Levi got a bit bashful.

Once Hange finally released him from the death grip he shook his head and ran a hand through his hair. "Thank you... I promise not all my songs are depressing, but.." he trailed off, stopping his train of thought before he could finish because no one needed to hear him bitch about his depressing personal life.

"Well the audience seemed to love it, so keep going with what you think is best!" And really, Hange was far too excited about all of this and Eren had to question just how much caffeine they had each day; probably a lethal amount.

Eren could feel the back of his neck heat up and it wasn't long until his ears started to get hot as well. "Oh guys stop.." he muttered, waving them off as if he was shooing away the compliments. He was about to say something else when he felt a tap on his shoulder, and when he turned around he saw a familiar face that he didn't think he'd see for a long time.

"Armin?! What are you doing back from England? School's still in session.." Eren trailed off, his eyes lighting up like the sun as he pulled the small blonde into a tight hug. The blonde on the other hand could only chuckle, his laughter being muffled by Eren's shirt as the brunette didn't want to let go.

"I finished classes a bit early," Armin stated once Eren finally let go, his bright blue eyes scanning his best friend and then glancing over at Hange and Levi who had begun to talk to each other. 

"I stopped by the hospital and Mikasa told me where you were so I thought I could sneak in and see before you noticed me."

\----------------------------------------

After three cups of coffee and a lot of explaining, Armin looked like a very pissed off fairy, his face red and brows furrowed underneath his blonde bowl cut. "I can't believe him!" He shouted. "When I left you two were talking about marriage.. and now.." Armin trailed off as a frown fell to his features and Eren couldn't help but feel guilty for making his friend so upset.

"..I know, it sucks but.. I'm doing okay. I really like it here and the people are really nice," Eren explained and turned to look at Hange and Levi who were making drinks and slowly closing up the cafe.

"The short one," Armin muttered and let his headrest in his hand as he took his last sip of coffee, "do you like him?" the blonde finished, only to laugh when he saw Eren get so red he thought he was going to melt.

"No no no.." Eren started, shaking his hands as he cleared his throat. "Levi's a bit rough around the edges but he's a good guy. He's going through a rough time so I just feel like we can relate to each other.." Eren's voice trailed off as he preoccupied himself with finishing his own cup of coffee, feeling completely embarrassed by his friends' remark.

Armin just hummed to himself as if he was deep in thought, head tilting to the side in his hand as he watched his friend, knowing that this was going to be an amusing next few months. "Your eyes shine when you look at him, just like they did when you looked at Jean." Armin's words must have been like a shot to the heart because Eren started choking on the remaining sip of coffee he had and he quickly pushed himself up from the chair and shook his head.

"He's a friend," he fumbled as he stood up and pushed the chair into the table.

"..Anyways, the cafe's closing, and I should help clean up," Eren suggested which made Armin nod as he got up and tossed his cup in the garbage.

"Since I'm home now why don't you come over when you're free? We still have a lot of catching up to do," the blonde spoke with a somewhat innocent smile that Eren didn't trust but he nodded in agreement as he walked Armin to the door.

"You're scarier than you look," Eren joked as he opened the door for Armin, the short boy only grinning and giving a slight shrug.

"I can't always look this cute."

"Goodbye, Armin." Eren sighed with a smile, closing the door behind him as he let out a sigh of relief. That friend of his was going to kill him one day, but in all honesty, it was so good to see him. With Armin being across seas finishing up his doctorate, Eren really didn't have any close friends to turn to in a rough time like this

"Who was that?" Eren turned around to see Levi with a bandanna over his hair and his apron on and the brunette couldn't help but find it somewhat humorous to see the other look so domestic.

"Ha.. he's my best friend from elementary school, he's back from school in England," Eren explained as he contained his laugh and went behind the counter to help clean up.

"I see.." Levi muttered as he went back to cleaning the coffee machines, his back turned towards Eren. And.. part of him couldn't help but feel like Levi was somewhat annoyed by Armin and Eren's interaction. Maybe they were too loud?


	7. Chapter 7- Give it One Last Shot

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I came home with the intention of wanting to work things out.." Erwin started as he set his coat over the chair and walked into the living room, sitting in a chair across from Levi.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry this chapter is a bit short! I'll try to upload the next one later today!

It had been almost a week since Levi last heard from Erwin. Six days exactly since Erwin laid a hand on him, and Levi almost expected the other to never come back. He was almost hoping for it too. So when he heard the front door to his house open, Levi looked up questionably from the book he was reading, and his eyes widened when he saw Erwin step through the door.

The bruise on Levi's neck wasn't as visible anymore, and the color had turned from purple and blue to a dark shade of yellow. To be honest, it looked gross, but that just meant that it was healing and Levi couldn't wait for it to be gone. Levi didn't think Erwin expected him to be home because when the larger man looked up and saw that Levi was home, he hesitated before taking his shoes off and fully walking inside.

"I thought you weren't going to come back," Levi stated as he cut through the awkward silence. They needed to talk, not only about what had happened but about the future. Levi still wasn't sure what he wanted to do, part of him wanted to leave, knowing that Erwin could repeat that incident whenever he wanted. But.. there was also a small part of him that ached to stay, to work through what he had with Erwin. He had built up too much here to just throw it away. Both Hange and Eren had bugged him to just end it, and he knew they were only pestering him because they were being good friends.. but- Levi didn't know, he just hated change.

"..I see," Erwin muttered- his voice sounding rough and Levi wondered where he had been this whole time, but if he was smart he wouldn't ask. Sure, Levi was curious but he knew it would be best not to know where he had been, or who he had been doing.

"I came home with the intention of wanting to work things out.." Erwin started as he set his coat over the chair and walked into the living room, sitting in a chair across from Levi.

Levi was actually a bit surprised. Was Erwin going to straighten up his act and go back to being faithful? Or did the other expect him to be okay with him sleeping around with multiple people? "Did you now?" Levi spoke, saving his spot in his book before putting it to the side as he turned his body towards the other.

"Part of me is tired of trying, Erwin," Levi stated honestly, rubbing his hand up and under his undercut as he let out a sigh. "There's no denying the fact you've been cheating. You're a terrible liar and even worse at hiding things," Levi explained and crossed his legs. "But...we've worked so hard on this relationship...we've both invested so much of our time into our future...I just don't want to throw it all away..." Levi could already see the anger in Hange and Eren's eyes, and there was no doubt in his mind that they would both tell him that he was making a huge mistake. But, he was weak and he couldn't just throw something away before trying to fight for it." Levi stopped once he realized he was beginning to rant, and by the time he finished talking he knew that he would be willing to give Erwin another chance.

"..I haven't been treating you right.. and I haven't been respecting our relationship the way I should.." Erwin paused, clasping his hands together as his eyes remained focused on the floor, the tension in the room starting to rise. "..And I never should have hit you... I don't... I don't know what came over me." The blonde's voice was shaky, his eyes finally lifting up to look at Levi, who brought his own pale hand up to touch his bruise. "..I never meant to hurt you."

"But you did." Levi responded almost immediately and let out a frustrated sigh, uncrossing his legs to stand up and walk over to the other, kneeling in front of Erwin.

"If I'm going to give you one last chance, you have to promise me two things," Levi muttered and he knew that this really wasn't asking for much. "One, you have to be faithful. I have never cheated on you, and I don't plan to. And Second, you will never, ever lay a hand on me again." In Levi's mind, these were basic things that would be required in any relationship, and it was disappointing that he had to clarify them. Levi should have taken that as a warning.

The room went silent once more, and Erwin looked like he was seriously thinking things over. Was it really too much to ask? Was Erwin that desperate to get laid that he would fuck anything that asked him to? The longer the blonde remained silent, the more irritated Levi got, and he was just about to get up and leave when Erwin finally responded.

"Agreed." Erwin spoke, letting his hand reach out to brush against Levi's cheek and the raven couldn't help but flinch as the other touched him, and Levi could see the hurt behind Erwins eyes as the blonde retracted his hand. 

"..It's.. gonna take time to repair our relationship.. but if you're willing to try one last time so am I," Levi muttered as he stood up and stretched, his feet carrying him back to the couch as he picked up his book.

"..Don't expect me to act the way I did before I realized you were cheating.. and don't think that I'm just going to forget what you did to me." Levi paused, opening his book and glancing at his fiance with a frown. "It's going to take time for me to be okay with you touching me." It seemed rational and it was only fair that Erwin respected his wishes and didn't try to pressure Levi into anything he wasn't ready for.

"I understand," Erwin spoke as he stood up from the chair, walking back towards the kitchen as he started to occupy himself with making dinner for the both of them.

The tension wasn't as intense as it used to be, and the silence was slowly starting to become comfortable. However, Levi still felt some sort of pit in his stomach that was telling him to run for the hills.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I saw the way you looked at him, and believe me- if I could I'd have my way with you instead," he whispered, lips ghosting past Eren's ear and the feeling made Eren so sick to his stomach that he wanted to vomit. 
> 
> Every fiber in his body was screaming to push him away, to dart into the back room and leave, yet Levi told him to wait and he couldn't just ignore what Levi asked him to do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fair Warning!! I'm starting a new job with different hours and might only start updating on the weekends, (or whenever I can!) I'm sorry!!
> 
> Hope you enjoy the chapter! <3

[In the second part of the chapter when Eren sings, I suggest listening to Love Like Ghosts, by Lord Huron. Again, I own nothing of the song. Enjoy!]

It had been three weeks since Levi told Eren and Hange that he would be giving Erwin one more chance, and the brunette would be lying if he said that he wasn't livid. Eren told himself that the reason why he was so upset was that Levi was a good friend of his. Through the weeks that he's worked there, he was proud to say that Hange and Levi had become good friends of his 

Hange had their own moments where they'd go off on tangents about new formulas for drinks, and Levi and Eren would just pretend to listen as they discussed songs for Eren to sing each week. The three of them got in the habit of spending nights together on Fridays, and for the past week or so Eren's been asked to come in on Saturdays too because they've been so busy.

That's what lead Eren to stare at his closet with tired eyes, letting out a sigh as he tried to figure out what he was going to wear tonight. He had just gotten a text from Hange asking him to come in, stating that people have already asked if Eren was going to be there. It was sweet really, and Eren was glad that people enjoyed his music. However, the hospital has been busy these past few weeks and Eren felt completely drained.

Nonetheless, he pulled out a navy blue long sleeve v-neck, taking off his original shirt to replace it with the blue one. Eren ignored the feeling in his chest as he thought about seeing Levi, suggesting to himself that it was because he wanted to know how things were going with Erwin. Eren was just being a good friend, and it was normal to worry about your friend.

As Eren changed his pants and tugged on a pair of brown boots, he grabbed the keys to his car along with a jacket and guitar case and set out to the cafe. He didn't mind if he got there early, he would want to get some coffee before the show anyway.

\-----------------------------------------

"You look like shit," Levi stated as Eren walked into the back room, tired green eyes glaring at the raven as Levi let out an amused snort.

"The hospitals been busy," Eren stated with a grimace, shaking his coat off and hanging it up alongside the others as he rubbed his eyes. "I just need some coffee and I'll be fine," he admitted before sitting down across from Levi who seemed to be reading a book instead of actually working. 

"Do you ever work, or do you just let Hange do all the heavy lifting?" Eren teased as he rested his back against the cushioned chair, his head falling back as he stretched his neck. Eren could hear a smirk in the voice of the other as he replied alongside a 'tsk,' which Levi did quite often.

"I'm on my break, brat. And for your information, I handle all the legalities and business aspects, Hange is the more sociable one." Levi admitted as he set his book down and glanced at the other with a puzzled look as Eren still had his head handing backward on the chair. "What the fuck are you doing?" Levi asked as Eren finally lifted his head and offered the raven a shrug.

"I was stretching my neck," Eren replied as he let out a chuckle, Eren realizing that the look on Levi's confused face was a tad cuter than it really should be.

"Hey, if you two are done flirting can we please get ready for Eren to perform?" Hange had been leaning against the doorway, a playful smile on their face as they relished in the embarrassed looks that they got from both Eren and Levi. Both of them were in such denial about any of their feelings that Hange couldn't help but tease them whenever they could. Things were tricky enough with Levi's rocky relationship with Erwin, but if it was with Hange they would have murdered him by now.

"Okay, okay I'm going," Eren muttered as he quickly got up, dodging Levi's glance as he walked up to Hange, nudging them in the side playfully before saying something to her under his breath so Levi couldn't hear. "You're a jerk," He muttered to them, and Hange didn't even think twice before ruffling his hair, which became a habit of theirs.

Both of them turned and headed towards the entrance of the cafe, making their way to the stage to set up for tonight's performance.

\------------------------------------------

"So tell me," Hange started as Eren hooked up the microphone and handed Connie his iPod, pointing to the song to play before turning back to Hange with a pout. "Are you still in denial, Eren?" 

Eren only sighed, rolling his eyes at them before taking his guitar out of his case and sitting down on the stool as he tuned it, making sure that everything was ready to go. "I'm not replying to that because there is no denial," Eren replied and shrugged off the feeling in his chest that made him want to second guess everything. "Either way, I have to start my show.." He began, which made Hange give him a quick apology along with a chuckle as they headed off the stage and went back to making drinks.

The lights in the place started to dim, an effect that Levi and Eren had discussed to get the audience's attention right before Eren started singing. It turned out to be a good idea because Eren watched as people stopped talking and turned their attention to him instead.

The music started to play and Eren had to mentally pat himself on the back because this song really was a good choice.

"Yes I know that love is like ghosts.."  
"Oh, few have seen it, but everybody talks,"  
"Spirits follow everywhere I go.."

Eren could feel the mood shift as he started to sing, the atmosphere shifting around the lyrics, the audience's attention completely locked on Eren's every word.

"Oh they sing all day and they haunt me in the night.."  
"Oh they sing all day and they haunt me in the night...."

"Yes I know that love is like ghosts..."  
"Oh, and what ain't living can never really die,"  
"You don't want me baby please don't lie.."  
"Oh but if you're leaving, I gotta know why..."  
"I said if you're leaving, I gotta know why.."  
"Oh I sing all day and I love you through the night."

Eren wrote this song once he started to feel more confident in the fact that he was going to be okay without Jean. It still hurt, and yes he had to change his life drastically after kicking him out and adjusting to sleeping alone. But now, he was able to live with it. He didn't forgive Jean, but he also knew that no one could ever trust a cheater again. And in some aspect, that was enough for Eren.

"Yes I know that love is like ghosts,"  
"Oh and the moonlight baby shows you what's real .."  
"There ain't a language for the things I feel.."  
"And if I can't have you then no one ever will,"  
"Oh, if I can't have you then no one ever will.."

Eren made the stupid choice of letting his eyes wander across the room, and when his eyes locked onto Levi's as he sang the last lyric of the verse he quickly averted his eyes and looked anywhere but in his direction. There was an aching in his heart when he looked at Levi, and Eren didn't understand it and even if he did, he would ignore it until it went away.

"I don't feel it till it hurts sometimes.."  
"Oh go on baby, hurt me tonight.."  
"I want ours to be an endless song,"  
"Baby in my eyes you do no wrong.."

Erens attention was so focused on not looking at Levi and trying to capture the rest of the audience that he didn't notice that someone else entered the cafe. And he also didn't realize that the person who entered wrapped a loose arm around Levi and leaned down to whisper in his ear.

"I don't feel it till it hurts sometimes,"  
"So go on baby hurt me tonight..."  
"All the spirits that I know I saw.."  
"Do you see no ghost in me at all,"

The song was coming to a close, and Eren knew that he had to find a quick excuse to tell Levi as to why he refused to look at him during the show.

"Oh I sing all day and I love you through the night.."  
"Oh I sing all day and I love you through the night.."  
"Oh I sing all day and I love you through the night.."  
"Oh I sing all day and I love you through the night...."

Eren drew out the last note, the music dissipating into the crowd as the song ended, and as soon as he stopped singing the people in the cafe started clapping, a few of them whistling which made Eren flush. He really was thankful that his music seemed to resonate with the crowd, and if it brought them happiness then it brought him happy too.

The brunette quickly gathered his things before heading off the stage, his eyes searching for Hange who usually greeted him with a compliment and a head pat. However, what he saw instead was something that he didn't think he'd hate to see so much. Besides Levi, there was a rather large blonde hair man, an arm of his wrapped around Levi and Eren only had to guess that it was Erwin.

Eren felt rage at first, and he held himself back from walking up and saying something to the man. After all the shit he put Levi through... Eren was just still surprised that the raven gave him another chance. 

"Oh, Eren.." Levi spoke as he saw the brunette walk up, and unconsciously he shrugged Erwin's arm off of him and walked up to the boy with crossed arms. "..You haven't met Erwin yet... Erwin, this is Eren. He's the boy that's been singing for us, and bringing in all the new business." Levi glanced from Eren to Erwin and must have felt the tension increase in the air because he cleared his throat and let out a forced chuckle. 

"Pleasure," Erwin spoke first, a fake smile falling from his lips as he extended a hand out to shake, which made Eren feel almost like he was obligated to shake it back.

"No really, it's all mine." He spoke, though his voice was flat and the words really held no meaning against them. Eren didn't want to be here any longer than he had to, and if he didn't make an excuse as to why he had to leave he'd be stuck here with Erwin and that was the last thing he wanted.

"Oh Eren, I have to go get some paperwork that Erwin needs to mail, can you just maybe show him around?" Levi asked, leaving before Eren had the chance to say no and now he was stuck in a situation that he not only hated but one that made him extremely uncomfortable. 

"I-.." Eren muttered, his lips parting as if he was going to say something else, but sighed instead; rubbing the back of his neck as he turned towards Erwin, a clear grimace on his face.

"Levi tells me you're quite talented. I only heard the ending of the song, but you have a wonderful voice." Erwin's eyes seemed to scan over Eren and it made the brunette's skin crawl. Something wasn't right in Erwin's tone and Eren's head was telling him to leave.

"Thanks." He replied, eyes averting to the cafe where there were still countless people having conversations and sipping at their drinks. Eren didn't even realize that the blonde had stepped closer until he felt a rough hand on his forearm, and Eren's eyes immediately went to Erwin, brows furrowed as he began to pull away.

"How old are you anyway? Levi never mentioned it, and your skins far too soft to be any older than 18." Now just what the fuck was this guy trying to accomplish? Eren scoffed and ripped his arm from the man's grip, his eyes sending daggers towards the blonde.

"Although it's none of your business, I'm 22," Eren muttered through gritted teeth, hoping that at any moment Levi would return so that he could go home.

The blonde had the audacity to laugh. The chuckle sounded like it came from the pit of Erwins stomach, and the blonde shook his head as he watched the other. "22, that's still pretty young, Levi and I are about 8 years older than you," Erwin spoke, taking a step further as he leaned down to whisper in Eren's ear. 

"I saw the way you looked at him, and believe me- if I could I'd have my way with you instead," he whispered, lips ghosting past Eren's ear and the feeling made Eren so sick to his stomach that he wanted to vomit. Every fiber in his body was screaming to push him away, to dart into the back room and leave, yet Levi told him to wait and he couldn't just ignore what Levi asked him to do.

"I don't know what you're talking about, but you're engaged to him; you shouldn't be talking to other people like that," Eren defended, his green eyes going dark as he backed away. His stomach did flips and his heart was throbbing in his chest. "..Either way I think you should-"

Eren was cut off by Levi who started talking to Hange rather loudly before walking up to them, Levi offering Eren the smallest of smiles before thanking him. "Thanks for keeping him company, you can head home."

Eren hesitated, looking at Levi for a moment before nodding and patting him on the shoulder. "Let me know if you need anything," Eren muttered before finally disappearing into the back room. Thank god Levi didn't witness any of that; though part of Eren was telling himself that he needed to tell Levi what Erwin did.

Little did Eren or Erwin know that Levi had witnessed the whole thing and knew exactly what kind of person Erwin was.


End file.
